Toy vehicle launching ramp and landing ramp

Abstract

A toy vehicle launching ramp and landing ramp is a toy vehicle track set that includes a launching ramp or track portion and a landing or receiving ramp or track portion. The toy vehicle track set also includes a booster or launcher which can propel or launch a toy vehicle onto the launching ramp, into the air, and onto the landing ramp. Further the set includes at least one elongate member with distance indicia, such that a user can measure the distance between the launcher and launching ramp, the launching ramp and receiving ramp, or some combination thereof. The toy vehicle track set enhances the play value of toy vehicle track sets by providing reliable and measurable jumps.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A toy vehicle track set, comprising:
 a launching ramp including:
 a track portion; and 
 a launching mechanism coupled to the track portion, the launching mechanism including a retraction mechanism, a receiver, and an elongate member coupling the receiver to the retraction mechanism, the retraction mechanism configured to retract the elongate member and the receiver toward the track portion; and 
 
 a landing ramp, spaced apart from the launching ramp, including:
 a track portion configured to receive a toy vehicle thereon, wherein retraction of the elongate member and the receiver results in launching the toy vehicle along the track portion of the launching ramp, through the air, and onto the track portion of the landing ramp. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The toy vehicle track set of  claim 1 , wherein the elongate member is a measuring device that can be used by the user to determine the distance between the receiver and the track portion of the launching ramp prior to retraction of the elongate member. 
     
     
       3. The toy vehicle track set of  claim 1 , wherein the elongate member is a first elongate member, and the launching ramp includes a second elongate member with distance indicia thereon, the second elongate member being extendible from the launching ramp and coupleable with the landing ramp via a coupler, thereby permitting the measurement of a distance between the launching ramp and the landing ramp. 
     
     
       4. The toy vehicle track set of  claim 3 , wherein the second elongate member is detachably coupled to the landing ramp. 
     
     
       5. The toy vehicle track set of  claim 1 , wherein the elongate member is a first elongate member, and the landing ramp includes a second elongate member with distance indicia thereon, the second elongate member being extendible from the landing ramp and coupleable with the launching ramp via a coupler, thereby permitting the measurement of a distance between the launching ramp and the landing ramp. 
     
     
       6. The toy vehicle track set of  claim 1 , wherein the launching mechanism further comprises:
 an actuator, wherein actuation of the actuator causes the retraction mechanism to retract the elongate member and the receiver towards the track portion of the launching ramp. 
 
     
     
       7. The toy vehicle of  claim 6 , wherein the launching mechanism further comprises:
 a locking mechanism, wherein the locking mechanism prevents the retraction mechanism from retracting the elongate member until the actuator is actuated. 
 
     
     
       8. The toy vehicle track set of  claim 1 , wherein the track portions of the launching and landing ramps further comprise:
 sidewalls extending from opposite edges of the launching ramp such that a toy vehicle may travel therebetween. 
 
     
     
       9. The toy vehicle track set of  claim 1 , wherein the retraction mechanism of the toy vehicle track set comprises a torsion spring, a torsion bar, a coil spring, a recoil spring, an elastic binder, derivatives thereof, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
       10. The toy vehicle track set of  claim 1 , wherein the elongate member is detachably coupled to the launching mechanism. 
     
     
       11. A toy vehicle track set, comprising:
 a launching track portion having a ramp and a launcher that receives a toy vehicle and propels the toy vehicle along the ramp, the launcher comprising:
 a receiver that receives a toy vehicle; and 
 a retraction mechanism that moves the receiver from a withdrawn position to a retracted position, the receiver including a distance measuring portion that can be used to determine the distance between the receiver in its withdrawn position and the ramp of the launching track portion; and 
 
 a receiving track portion having a ramp configured to receive the toy vehicle propelled from the launching ramp. 
 
     
     
       12. The toy vehicle track set of  claim 11 , wherein the launcher further comprises:
 a locking system configured to retain the receiver in the withdrawn position. 
 
     
     
       13. The toy vehicle track set of  claim 12 , wherein the locking system is configured to allow the receiver to move away from the ramp of the launching track portion, but not allow the receiver to move towards the ramp of the launching track portion. 
     
     
       14. The toy vehicle track set of  claim 12 , wherein the launcher further comprises:
 an actuator that, upon actuation, unlocks the locking mechanism, allowing the retraction mechanism to move the receiver from the withdrawn position to the retracted position. 
 
     
     
       15. The toy vehicle track set of  claim 14 , wherein the retracted position is a first retracted position, the first retracted position being proximate to the ramp, and the retraction mechanism also moves the receiver from the withdrawn position to a second retracted position disposed between the withdrawn position and the first retracted position. 
     
     
       16. The toy vehicle track set of  claim 15 , wherein the retraction mechanism moves the receiver to the second retracted position if the actuator is moved from an actuated position to a non-actuated position prior to the receiver moving to the first retracted position. 
     
     
       17. The toy vehicle track set of  claim 11 , wherein one of the launching track portion or the receiving track portion includes a retractable measure that can be extended between the launching track portion and the receiving track portion to measure the distance therebetween. 
     
     
       18. A toy vehicle track set comprising:
 a launching track portion comprising:
 a ramp; and 
 a booster configured to propel a toy vehicle along the track portion and comprising a first elongate member including distance indicia; and 
 
 a landing track portion including a ramp, wherein the launching track portion and landing track portion are coupled together by a second elongate member, the second elongate member including distance indicia. 
 
     
     
       19. The toy vehicle track set of  claim 18 , wherein the booster further comprises:
 a retraction mechanism, wherein the retraction mechanism is configured to move the first elongate member from an extended position to a retracted position. 
 
     
     
       20. The toy vehicle track set of  claim 19 , wherein the retraction mechanism further comprises:
 a bias member configured to bias the first elongate member in a retracted position; 
 a locking system configured to lock the first elongate member in a extended position; and 
 an actuator configured to unlock the locking system, such that the bias member can cause the retraction mechanism to move the first elongate member from an extended position to a retracted position.